Modern motor vehicle systems are becoming increasingly computerized. Vehicle electronics are controlled partially or entirely by microprocessors (computers) networked both internally and externally. This architecture has been the basis for advances in safety, fuel efficiency, and convenience. There is a clear trend in industry to enable telematics in vehicles, with telematics broadly defined as the collection and use of telecommunications and information processing in internal or connected motor vehicle systems. As a result of the advances in telematics systems, several automobile manufacturers have stated goals to enable telematics capabilities for all vehicle models produced in the upcoming decade.
Many recent products utilize data from telematics systems, such as in the field of vehicle tracking. As a result, the use of telematic data collection has been steadily growing for insurance, fleet management industry, and government purposes. Some of these products include aftermarket solutions that seek to log vehicle position and other driver performance data to either monitor driver vehicle and behavior or offer transportation-related services. Many businesses and products are also using vehicle telematics data to assist the collection of driver behavior data. However, the increasing collection of such data is accompanied by strong privacy concerns from customers who do not want their travel location or personal data being accessed or logged by third parties.
Automakers and telematics service providers have made large investments for technologies to help secure and encrypt communications to and from a vehicle, including the use of secure data centers, limiting and encrypting communications to specific services, white listing data access to particular vehicles, and sandboxing vehicle systems. However, security remains a large concern for vehicle users, as evidenced by vehicle security system workarounds and many publicized events involving telematic system vulnerabilities.